On the 67th Independence Day, I extend my heartiest felicitations to all the countrymen and offer my gratitude to Allah for giving us a beautiful country like Pakistan. Today, I also felicitate those Pakistanis who are settled abroad but their hearts throng with Pakistan and deem the green flag as a symbol of honour and dearer than their lives.

Pakistan is our identity that we earned through immense sacrifices. Countless people gave their blood to kindle the light of freedom and millions had to migrate for this purpose. Our elders sacrificed their present for our future. Today we remember our forefathers and pay our gratitude to them for making extraordinary sacrifices to give us an identity.

A new era of hope and optimism has dawned in the country with the inception of the present democratic government. Pakistan Muslim League, the founding party of the country, has taken over the reins of government with a renewed zeal and determination. The PML(N) believes that the well being and security of the country hinges on the continuation of democratic process and respect for the peoples’ rights. The present government is committed to eliminate all evils from the country and take it to new heights of development and prosperity. It is our utmost effort to eliminate hunger, unemployment and inflation so that there is prosperity in the country and its status is further elevated.

The government is also fully committed to weed out extremism and terrorism from the country, and will ensure its safety and security by all means. With the grace of Almighty Allah and the active support of the people, we will not only surmount all challenges but also put the country on the trajectory of development.

The Independence Day demands of us that we should plan our future strategy in the light of our past experiences. If we fail to correct our mistakes today, do not choose the right path, and continue to serve our personal interests instead of the national objectives, the future generations will never pardon us. We have to transfer a peaceful, strong and prosperous Pakistan to our future generations where they can live in respect. For this purpose, the nation has to demonstrate exemplary unity and solidarity. Let us renew our pledge today that regardless of our personal interests, we will dedicate our energies for Pakistan and lead it to high level of development and prosperity as envisioned by Allama Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

On this occasion, I reiterate the words of Quaid-i-Azam that he expressed on the eve of Pakistan Day, 23rd March 1944, “Let’s go forward, full of hope for the coming year(s), with faith in our heart, unity in our camp, discipline in ranks, and I am confident of our success…”